The European Community Foundation Initiative's (ECFI's) 3 year plan covers the period from 2018 to 2020. The over-arching aim is to strengthen and promote the community foundation movement in Europe. ECFI will pay special attention to increasing exchange and collaboration around critical themes such as CFs’ community leadership role and responses to inequality and the SDGs, migration and climate change.
ECFI will deliver and facilitate ...
- Mapping, preparation and dissemination of information on CFSOs and CFs in Europe, including the production of guides;
- Cultivation of the interest of (potential) donors, policymakers and the media;
- Study Visits (SV) expose senior CFs and CFSO practitioners to the work and contexts of their peers in another European country and create a space for reflection on the experience, sharing of participants’ experience and discussion between practitioners and other experts (principally researchers) of topics raised during the visit. Due to their multi-country composition and the opportunity they offer for longer and deeper interaction between practitioners, SVs are an important tool to stimulate commitment.
- Thematic Meetings (TM) offer senior CFSO and CF practitioners a space for intensive peer-to-peer work on topics of common interest and global/regional importance. Resource people from other fields are often involved and outputs are generated for use in the field.
- CF2CF Exchanges permit staff and board members of CFs or CFSOs to conduct one-way or reciprocal visits to better understand each other’s work and context and explore the potential for longer-term relationships.
- Exploratory Learning Grants: Small grants (for Study Visits, bringing CFSOs or CFs to their country for workshops, studies, etc.) for organizations or individuals interested in developing CFs in countries without CFs or with potential for growth.
- Development of an online resource to support peer mentoring between CFSOs and CFs and with others with relevant expertise.
- Collation of evidence from the field, production of an SDG Guide for Community Foundations, and the design and delivery of a series of workshops across Europe to build an understanding of the relevance of the SDGs and to encourage action.